As a security professional, you might be dreaming of the top-notch security infrastructure you could create if only you were given unlimited time and resources. But it’s rare to have that luxury, especially if you’re working with a government security budget. In the real world, deploying your resources as effectively as possible means using risk-based budgeting and risk assessments to guide the way forward.

One reason government organizations might choose to rely on risk-based budgeting is that there is only so far a budget can go–and government budgets, as we discussed previously, can be precarious. Whether you face political shifts or fluctuations in available tax revenue, prevailing economic forces, and constituent support, you still need to run an efficient and effective security operation no matter the budget you’ve been granted.

How can you manage risk in a government security budget? 

To manage risk in a government security budget, you’ll need to deploy your resources in extremely well-targeted ways. This requires conducting regular risk assessments, prioritizing your top risks and budgeting accordingly, and assessing your effectiveness so you can adapt as needed.

Step #1: Conduct regular risk assessments to identify key threats

First, conduct a risk assessment to identify the risks your organization faces, or is likely to face in the future. You should conduct these risk assessments regularly to identify potential threats as well as vulnerabilities in your security strategy, technology, and infrastructure.

For example, let’s say that you are responsible for airport security. After running a risk assessment, you might decide that two of your top threats–out of many–include a terrorist attack or a cyber attack on critical airport systems.

Step #2: Prioritize risks based on potential impact and probability

Once you identify several possible threats, your next step is to prioritize them accordingly: from those you deem highly critical and highly probable, to those that might merely be an inconvenience or are less likely to occur.

Prioritizing risks will help you allocate your resources for the greatest impact. Building on the airport security scenario above, for instance, you might decide that while both a terrorist attack and a cyber attack would have serious and wide-reaching consequences, preventing the terrorist attack is your number one priority. Preventing a cyber attack might be priority #2, preventing smuggling might be #3, and so on, all the way down to dealing with unruly passengers or attending to unattended baggage.

Step #3: Build your budget around your priorities

Once you have a clear view of your potential threats, vulnerabilities, and opportunities, it’s time to put your budget to work. You might choose to use your resources on upgraded technology, increased staff training, hiring new personnel, or other measures that can help you reduce the likelihood of a specific threat happening, or at the very least, its impact.

In the airport security example we’ve been using, you would earmark a greater portion of your budget for counter-terrorism measures like enhanced screening technology or better training for your security personnel. The next largest portion would then go to still-crucial but slightly lower-priority threats, like upgrading your IT systems or training your team to prevent cyber attacks. The next portion of your budget would go to your #3 priority, and so on.

By targeting high-priority vulnerabilities or risks, you can avoid wasteful spending in less critical areas and achieve better cost-efficiency. As you plan around these priorities, remember that it’s also wise to set aside a portion of your budget for a contingency fund that can help you stay resilient in case of unforeseen challenges, unexpected changes, and emerging risks.

Step #4: Regularly assess your effectiveness and adapt as needed 

You should regularly monitor the effectiveness of the risk management strategies you have implemented, stay aware of the shifting threat landscape, and adjust your approach as needed. The risks you face are always changing–and your priorities may, as well. 

For example, let’s say you allocated more of your resources to preventing a terrorist attack, but after analyzing the data, you realize that cyber threats have increased considerably. You might then decide to shift some of your resources away from counterterrorism to cybersecurity, in order to remain well-protected in that area. 

In the world of security, things can change quickly, and when they do, you want to be prepared to act. This is why regular risk assessments, reporting, and data analysis are integral to helping you adjust your strategy as conditions change.

Step #5: Look for opportunities to maximize your budget

Finally, you can maximize your available budget by being smart about certain choices, like which security solutions you use. For example, if you rely on multiple security systems and sensors, you can streamline operations by choosing security software that will bring everything together into a single monitoring solution. Good security software will be able to integrate legacy systems as well as new systems, saving you from having to rip out and replace old infrastructure, which could be an expensive undertaking.

For example, if you installed a fire alarm system in the early 90’s, the technology will have changed a lot since then. Sooner or later, you will have to take out the old fire alarm system, replace the panels, pull the electrical out of the walls, replace the system and the walls, and so on. That will put a serious dent in your budget. However, if the system fundamentally works, you can seamlessly integrate it into your alarm monitoring software along with all of your other physical security products. Being able to make your legacy system work with your modern infrastructure is a game-changer that saves you a ton of time and money.

A good security software will also help you centralize and streamline operations. So, for example, if you’re overseeing multiple buildings with multiple physical security products, you can centralize it all at one location. For example, let’s say you have multiple military bases in a given region. If each has its own security operations center, systems, and people to manage it, centralization may be a good option. That would empower you to monitor everything from one or two locations, minimizing headcount to manage and possibly decreasing the number of systems you have to use.

Choosing a strong security software may be one of the best ways to boost your budget and allow you to do more with your risk-based management strategy.

What other benefits can risk-based budgeting bring to your organization?

Risk-based budgeting has many benefits beyond improved decision-making, greater security effectiveness, and enhanced accountability.

For example, the thought you put into conducting your regular risk assessments means you’ll be better able to provide stakeholders with a clear rationale for how you’re allocating resources and how you plan to lead the organization forward in the future. You’ll be able to justify shifting your resources or strategy as new risks emerge, while building up valuable data to inform your long-term strategic planning.

Risk-based budgeting and resource allocation ensure not just that your budget is put to best possible use–but that your security initiatives are as strong as possible. It can help you reduce vulnerabilities, minimize security breaches, build up strong defenses, make better decisions, and ultimately explain your rationale to stakeholders and taxpayers with clarity and confidence.

Are there any risks to risk-based budgeting?

While risk-based budgeting and resource allocation are a solid strategy for government organizations, there are still some issues to keep in mind. 

For example, prioritizing threats isn’t always an objective science, and human bias can sneak in. Different stakeholders, from elected officials to taxpayers, may have very different ideas about what your most critical threats actually are! Additionally, to prioritize risks as objectively as possible, you need good data: sometimes that is simply limited, unavailable, or difficult to find.

Risk-based budgeting could also lead you to focus only on near-term or high-probability risks, making you blind to greater long-term dangers that might be lurking beyond the horizon. It might even lead you to neglect opportunities to grow, as your resources are tied to minimizing risks rather than exploring ways to improve, innovate, and potentially maximize your impact.

Finally, the human element is always at play–even with risk-based budgeting. Implementing this approach might require your organization to make a cultural shift, pitting you against stakeholders who might prefer more traditional ways of budgeting. There is also the risk that what you had initially labeled a low-priority threat ends up causing significant damage, prompting people to ask why more resources hadn’t been spent on preventing it. 

How can we help you minimize your risk and maximize your potential? 

SIS is proud to provide top government organizations with our world-class Alarm Center software, the preferred alarm monitoring and integration software solution for high-security government entities. Alarm Center has received and maintains an Authority to Operate (ATO) on U.S. government networks and supports multiple federal and military agencies, including the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, and Department of State. 

Organizations choose Alarm Center because it also helps them get the most out of their budgets. It seamlessly integrates legacy and modern security systems, plus allows you to manage everything from one centralized location. To see how Alarm Center can maximize your agency’s budget, contact us today to see what’s possible!